Amusement device



Aug. 25, 1942 L, u. EYERLY AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Aug. 18, 1941 l AWE/Wok LEE Mira? flzrofi/a fr Patented Aug. 25, 1942 UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE AMUSEMENT DEVICE Lee U. Eyerly, Salem, Oreg.

Application August 18, 1941, Serial No. 407,319

Claims.

This invention relates generally to amusement devices and particularly to a new form of merrygo-round.

The main object of this invention is to construct a ride which will provide new thrill without unnecessarily endangering the lives of the riders.

The second object is to produce a ride of the class described which will be easy to manufacture, sturdy in construction and in which the loads are balanced.

The third object is to so construct the device that it facilitates the loading of the units by bringing pairs of airplane units to the ground in parallel relation thereto.

The fourth object is to so construct a device that it may operate as an ordinary merry-goround and when loaded, the cars may be made to revolve about the upright axis of a given pair, or they may be made to travel around the main vertical axis of orbit, or both.

These and other objects are accomplished in the manner set forth in the following specification as illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan showing one of the pairs of airplane units.

Similar numerals refer to throughout the several views.

Referring in detail to the drawing, there is shown a base l0 upon which is mounted a pyramid shaped frame II on whose forked head I2 is mounted the horizontal pin I3 upon which is secured the rockable arm M which is connected by the link IE to the crank pin It on the sprocket wheel driven by the chain l8 from the motor l9 which rests on the base l0.

Secured to the arm |3 is the main pivot shaft 20 upon which is rotatably mounted the hub 2| from which radiates a plurality of arms 22. On the outer end of each arm 22 is mounted a shaft 23, one end of which is secured to the frame 22A and the other end of which journals in the bearing 24 outside of which is secured a gear 25 which meshes With the pinion 26 of the motor 21 which is secured to the outer end of the frame 22A.

Each arm 22 is provided at each end thereof with a fork 28 between whose ends 23 is rotatably mounted the shaft 3|) of the airplane unit 3| which may be provided with a propeller 32 for appearance or for utility purposes. Each unit 3| is so balanced on its shaft 3|) that it seeks to similar parts the center of gravity is below the axis of rotation.

Also mounted on the rockable arm I l is a motor 33 whose pinion 34 meshes with the gear 35 which is secured to the hub 2| and held against rotation with relation thereto by means of the lugs 36 which engage the members 22.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The operator first causes the motor l9 to revolve until the crank I1 is in the position shown in Fig. lthat is, a pair of plane units 3| are near the landing surface 31 and there stops to take on passengers. As each unit 3| is filled, the motor 33 is operated causing the pairs of planes 3| to travel in an orbit about the inclined axis of the shaft 28.

It will be noted that as the plane units 3| rise to the uppermost position, the units of one pair occupy the same vertical plane.

Owing to the fact that each individual unit 3| is provided with its own longitudinal axis 30 around which it rotates by reason' of the fact that the units 3| are unbalanced, the units 3| are always in an upright position although the plane passing through the axis of a given pair may Vary in its inclination.

When the planes 3| are filled, the motor I9 is operated until the arms 22 occupy a substantially horizontal position. Now the motor 33 is operated under the control of the main operator While each motor 27 is operated in response to the wishes of an occupant in a given pair of airplanes 3|. It follows that by a proper manipulation of the controls, a great number of variations of movements may be obtained without the necessity of employing special equipment and highly skilled workmen.

In the ordinary operation of this device, the crank I1 is operated for the purpose of moving the arms 22 to the inclined position shown in Fig. 1 for loading, or to a horizontal position for operating the device as a merry-go-round, in which event the frames 22A would revolve in planes which bank with relation to the plane of rotation of the arms 22.

It follows that the motion of the crank I"! may be made continuous in which event there would be produced still further combinations of movements wherein the plane units revolve about each other in pairs and in a circular orbit around the shaft 20 as well as changing the elevation.

I claim:

1. A merry-go-round having tiltable, revolvright itself at all times by reason of the fact that able arms, frames mounted on opposite arms adapted to rotate in planes normal to each other and inclined with relation to said arms, each of said frames having airplane units mounted thereon on opposite sides of its axis of rotation, said plane units being revolvable on axes normal to their plane of rotation and occupying said plane.

2. A merry-go-round characterized by having a plurality of radiating arms revolvably mounted on a tiltable axis each of said arms having a frame revolvabl; mounted at the outer end of the arm between the ends of the frame, the frames at the opposite ends of the arms occupying planes normal to each other, each of said frames having an airplane unit revolvably mounted at each end thereof, the axes of a pair of plane units being parallel to each other and lying within the same plane of rotation.

3. The apparatus described in claim 2 together With means for varying the inclination of said arms.

4. The apparatus described in claim 2 characterized by having means for rotating the frames on their axes under the control of the occupants thereof and means for revolving the merry-goround on its main axis under the control of an operator.

5. In a device of the class described the combination of an elevated support, a tiltable pivot shaft mounted on the upper end of said support, means for varying the inclination of said shaft, an elongated arm rotatably mounted on said pivot shaft, means for rotating said arm, a frame rotatably mounted on each end of said arm, the frames on opposite ends of one arm rotating on planes normal to each other, each of said frames having an airplane unit rotatably mounted thereon and means for rotating said frames in pairs.

LEE U. EYERLY. 

